Last year, I teased a "major supplement" would be released soon and better still, it would be 100% FREE. The delay has been quite long in coming, but hopefully the wait will have been worth it. This supplement has been in development and play-testing for the better part of two years and I didn't want to drag it into the light until everything had been properly polished. Here's what we have cooking:

Our Campaign System

Back when the original ideas for Altar of Freedom germinated many years ago, creating a great campaign system was always an integral part of that. What could be better than fighting the entire Battle of Gettysburg on a 6'x4' tabletop? Why, fighting the entire Gettysburg campaign, of course! I had hoped to have this campaign system ready in early 2014, but no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

Gibraltar of the West is the title of our first campaign supplement, designed to allow multiple players to experience the Vicksburg campaign between Grant, Pemberton, and Johnston. This is map-based system where 2-5 players have total freedom of maneuver across a wide theater, giving you the ability to fight a series of battles and attempt rewriting the history of May 1863. A short turn limit combined with asymmetrical, variable objectives for each side keeps the pressure on all players. Many more details about the campaign will be coming soon.

As promised, Gibraltar of the West will be available as a completely free PDF from this website. Everything you need to play the campaign, including rules, maps, tokens, and cards will be fully provided. This is my way of saying "Thank You" to the many players who have purchased and played Altar of Freedom. The response has been considerably larger than expected.

The supplement is currently in the final round of editing and layout, so you can expect to see it available within the month, along with a photo-packed report of our club's most recent run at Vicksburg.

What's Next?

Now that the core campaign system is designed and play-tested, I do hope to release additional campaign sets. Based on the download demand for Gibraltar of the West, future releases may or may not be given away for free. If there is a price associated, it would be relatively inexpensive--$5 or less. I already have a list of several possible candidates for the next campaign, but it's far too early to say when it may be ready for release. They take a few months to properly research and an additional few months to play-test for balance.

Napoleonics?

The very first week Altar of Freedom became available, many people emailed to ask when a Napoleonic supplement would be in the works. Even now, it's probably the most common question people submit on the Contact Form. I have absolutely no regret in saying that an official Napoleonic conversion/supplement is not in the foreseeable future.

​There are two reasons for this: (1) I think the mechanics for Altar of Freedom are uniquely suited to the American Civil War. My conception and understanding of Napoleonic warfare would require me to write a different game, with different mechanics to reflect the more professional command-and-control systems, the widely varying troop qualities and national doctrines. In short, it would be a new game.

6mm Bavarians...but not for Altar of Freedom!

But more importantly, (2) there are already some great big-battle Napoleonic rules available. I didn't write Altar of Freedom to make money (note: Do not quit your day job if you want to publish your own war-gaming rules), I wrote it because I was unhappy with the big battle options for ACW. I have no such qualms about the availability of Napoleonic rules. In fact you can see some of my 6mm Napoleonic troops pictured here!

​I enjoy Blucher and Grande Armee quite well enough.

But...something else?

While Napoleonics are not on the horizon for Altar of Freedom, I'm happy to tease that a very different conversion is just beginning to stew at our local club. One ambitious club member in our group has decided to use Altar of Freedom as the basis for a somewhat unexpected era of big-battle combat. He modified the shooting and combat mechanics to reflect the importance of bow and arquebus fire and we've been having great fun with this period. It is an era of warfare with plenty of colorful characters and odd personalities. What period might that be? Check out the gallery below to see for yourself!

This potential supplement is not my project, so I have no control over its progression or eventual publication. He may not decide to release it at all (though I will certainly encourage him to do so!). But for those hoping for a new twist on Altar of Freedom, this is what would be in store in the year ahead.

And for those like me who are still marching to the drums of the American Civil War, you can look forward to the imminent arrival of Gibraltar of the West! "Vicksburg is the key," Lincoln once wrote. Its fate will be in your hands.

Really looking forward to this, especially as a few people down the Liverpool club were talking about their interest in the Vicksburg campaign last night.

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David B.

1/18/2016 05:38:06 am

Great news. I have loved the rules from the beginning!!!!!!!

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Tony Hawkins

1/18/2016 06:21:42 am

I love these rules. OK maybe you feel not suited for Napoleonics - but what about the Franco-Prussian War?

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GRW

1/31/2016 08:15:14 pm

I have to confess that I know very, very little about the FPW. One of the guys in my club is pretty knowledgeable about the period and he indicated AoF would be well suited to the period. He even has some 6mm FPW miniatures....

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Will Corlett

1/28/2016 01:10:37 pm

Great news and a great bonus to a great set of rules.

if I could make a sufggestion then the campaigns of Bragg and Rosecrans in 1863 in Tennessee would be a great follow up - you might say follows history. Possibly after Rosecrans takes Chattanooga,, leading to Chickamauga, as Bragg is on a fairly level footing?

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GRW

1/31/2016 08:13:29 pm

Are you looking over my shoulder and reading my computer files, Will? Let's just say that Rosecrans and Bragg are very much in my thoughts. I have detailed notes ready for Tullahoma, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga. But I have more advanced work ready for the second campaign, which will be from the East. Bouncing back to the West for the third campaign and it will absolutely feature Rosecrans and Bragg--just not settled yet on which phase of their dance.

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Kurt Braunsroth

1/29/2016 07:17:02 am

Looking forward to the campaign rules. I am eager to try them out and set to designing other campaigns. Thank you so much for doing this.